Get Organized. Get Simple.

2017 – A year of Less Stuff

If you are feeling overwhelmed with that state of clutter in your home, make 2017 a year of less stuff!

There are so many ways you can do this so pick some or all of the items below to achieve your goal.

Try to let go of 1 thing per day to either a donation box or to trash/recycling.

Choose a “container” (plastic bag, paper bag, garbage bag) and decide the frequency to fill it. Can be 1 “container” per week or per month.

Set up a limit for a troublesome area/set of like items. Say you have a shoe organizer that holds 24 pairs. Make that your limit and pare down as much as you can. If you have 22, you have room for 2 more but once you add that 3rd you need to purge 1.

Ask for experiences, $ or gc’s for gifts.

Shop only to a list. Hold off on impulses, if you still need and/or want it the next time you plan to go then add to the list. Most impulses are poor decisions.

Pick a room and devote x min or hours per day or week to that space. Chances are with a concentrated effort you will be able to tackle it.

If you are storing stuff for someone else, give them a deadline to get it or atleast make a plan for its exodus.

Set-up decluttering “holidays” for the entire family to participate in. Nov 15th is clothing purge day. June 30th is book purging day. That way areas that frequently grow will be attended to once a year.

Eliminate duplicity. Have 3 coffee makers? You need 1. Have 3 black belts? Reduce by 1. This gives you the comfort of having what you need but less in that category.

Question everything. Every time you move something around, ask if you need it and when you would use it next? If the answer is tomorrow, then you are using it. If you can’t answer the question, then maybe you can let it go. A great rule is if you can’t think of when you would ever need it again and can get it again in 20 minutes for $20 or less, let it go.